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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · chair · fork · saw · calf · press · track · straw

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. press — newspapers
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. press — a publisher
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a song
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. press — to push
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. perch — the fish
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com